Set Your Own Pace

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The Barbados Orchid Society presents the Orchid Masquerade!This event will be held at the Barbados Horticulture Society Headquarters, Balls Plantation, Christ Church, on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26, 2017. A $20 donation gets you in.

Uniquely Yours will be there displaying the lovely pieces from my most recent posts, and with new pieces in the works. This will be your opportunity to stop by, say hello and purchase your selection in person!

Come see floral competitions, orchid and plant displays. There will also be jewelry, art and craft on sale! Door prizes to be won, too!! Thanks to all the sponsors!

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Welcome to another Cheat Sheet blog post. The last post focused on Amazonite – so take a look at that post!

Each post will feature a new stone and brief description. If there are pieces in my portfolio which include these stones, they will be featured as well.

Today we look at Lapis Lazuli.

Let’s learn together!

The variety of Lapis Lazuli which I most frequently see is the matte kind. My first impression was that it reminded me of Sodalite, however, the hues of blue are much darker. Lapis Lazuli is also much more expensive.

Can simply go by the name Lapis.

It is said that ‘lapis’ means stone in Latin.

The Egyptians used Lapis. King Tut’s burial mask was decorated with Lapis. There is an interesting article I featured in 2016 on Lapis and the Egyptian King.

It is referred to as the blue stone.

Said to be stone of protection and creativity.

Primarily mined in the Middle East, namely Afghanistan. However, deposits are traced as far away as Argentina.

Below is an example of my work using Lapis Lazuli.

GENTS BRACELET – made using 8mm matte Lapis and two 10mm focal Sodalite. A sun bead and four small sterling silver beads are used as spacers. Made by Uniquely Yours by Tasha.

If there are is other information you can share on Lapis or if you are a designer, why not share your work with the readers here on UYJ.

Disclaimer – This post reflects the information gleaned from reading. Therefore the views expressed by individual websites are solely their assertions. I do not ascribe to nor have I tested nor can verify the properties of these stones. —Tasha

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You may recall I shared this poster on Garden Party time! and also shared a few posts about craft fair preparation, display tips and the like. So here’s my take on the event!

I had a good no, great time! It was my first time at that event and I felt it was well-organised. In speaking with a repeat entrepreneur to the event, she shared that attendance had waned over the years, but I took that in stride and never let it dampen my day.

Kudos to the committee of the St. James Parish Church for putting on a good show! The music and food were good, lots of people and what lovely sunshine! Thank you, Lord 🙂

Preliminary thoughts

The preparation was intensive and I also watched how ideas evolved and took on new meaning. I thought of previous experiences where I felt I could have saved my time and not show up. But after this event, I understand what others mean when they say that the demographic plays a big part.

Previous events offered a more low-key, flea market kind of atmosphere. The Garden Party was held on the West Coast of Barbados, known for beautiful scenery, affluence and larger than life crowd. So my gemstone and pearl offerings fitted in well.

The experience gained – PRICELESS! From setting up tent with a friend to the friends who came to sharing the experience with my daughter. It was indeed priceless!

New things I tried

Remember those experiences that I thought were bad? Well this time, I decided to make bracelets of a lower price point for patrons who might not be inclined to purchase gemstones or other higher ticketed pieces. There was small number of items on sale at BDS$15/US$7.50 and under. So those ‘bad experiences’ were my teachable moments and stepping stones!

I had two tables – one 4ft and the other 6ft. This allowed me to spread the merchandise out and allowed me some wiggle room for display mannequins.

Tried new display ideas. Pinterest is full of ideas and I decided to try two – paper cones and wood pedestals.

I removed the pressure of expectations. As artists we want to have everything sold. Well, I do anyway. I can remember feeling very dejected when sales did not go according to my ideas. Therefore, I decided not to put that pressure on myself and purposed to enjoy the day for whatever might happen. Living in the moment made much more sense. I was more at ease on the day and I interacted more with patrons who stopped by.

What would I do differently?

Although I pride myself on not duplicating work, I found that I could have offered different designs using the same stone or bead. So whatever event I decide to do next I will keep that in mind.

These tips readily come to mind but I will share if others crop up over the next few days.

If you are an artist, entrepreneur, photography, chef, etc. and participate in craft fairs and other similar events, what has y.our experience been like? I would love it if you share your experiences with me and visitors to the site!

Thanks so much!!

—Tasha, UYJ

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The Cheat Sheet blog posts will be a new feature on UYJ. Each post will feature a new stone and brief description. If there are pieces in my portfolio which include these stones, they will be featured as well.

Let’s learn together!

By far, Amazonite is my favourite stone. I love the colour! Anything with lovely hues of turquoise will definitely catch my eye.

It is said that Amazonite is named after the Amazon River. I cannot confirm that traces of Amazonite where found there. Sources are mixed regarding this point.

Amazon stone is another name.

Amazonite is greenish-blue in colour. Sometimes has white, yellow, brown or grey portions.

Said to be calming and encourages confidence.

Is found worldwide. However, large deposits are said to exist in Colorado, USA; Myanmar, India and Madagascar.

Below are example of pieces by Uniquely Yours Jewelry using Amazonite stones.

Disclaimer – This post reflects the information gleaned from reading. Therefore the views expressed by individual websites are solely their assertions. I do not ascribe to nor have I tested nor can verify the properties of these stones. —Tasha

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It has been a few days since my last jewelry post. I am currently prepping for an event to be held early February 2017. I will post the flier and other details in the days to come.

I have done a few showings of my work and as much as I enjoy designing and putting together creations, preparing for an event can feel quite daunting at times.

There is so much emphasis on booth display, right ambiance and other tips which are meant to drive customers in your direction.

For this event, one which I have never done, I am feeling that pressure again. The organizers were clear that a tent would be an asset as the start time is midday. In Barbados, the midday sun can feel like suddenly the equator has descended from on high.

I have given alot of thought to the color scheme I want to use, the redesigning of business cards and logo, displays and props and the pieces I want to display.

I know!! It is so much to consider!

I found a few resources which I would like to share for those who might also struggle with pre-show jitters as I do.

Craft Professional – This resource is fantastic!! If you want to learn about the best kinds of tents for events, displays and craft development ideas then this site is for you.

Thrifty Little Mom – An extremely inspiring resource, this site shares useful tips and even a printable checklist.

Creative Income – If you are like me, you will want to execute things just once. Follow the link to learn how to avoid mistakes at the craft fair.

Made Urban – This is one of my favourite reads. Display tricks to help you out.